Holyrood backs pause on all new AI datacentre planning decisions until Scotland's government sets national guidance

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

Scottish MSPs voted on Wednesday to freeze planning decisions on new AI datacentres for up to a year, a move that could slow Britain's AI infrastructure ambitions. The non-binding Holyrood vote requires that no planning applications be determined before the SNP government issues national guidance, which ministers have committed to producing by Christmas. A proposed development in Auchtertool, Fife, has been described as the second largest datacentre in the world, and it is one of more than 20 large projects already in the pipeline across Scotland.

MSPs rejected a full moratorium on applications being submitted, backing Labour MSP Daniel Johnson's softer amendment to pause determinations instead.

SNP business minister Tom Arthur told Holyrood he did not anticipate any planning authority decisions were imminent before the new guidance is in place.

Campaigners raised concerns about water usage, carbon emissions and Scotland's ability to cope with the explosion in energy demand the datacentres would bring.